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REPORT 




OF THE 



ADJUTANT-GENERAL 



•TO THE' 



25TH NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT, 



(SILVER ANNIVERSARY.) 



^ G. A. R.,^ 



Detroit, Michigan, August 5, 1891 



RUTLAND, VT. : 

'J'he Tuttle Company, Printers. 

1891. 



' ■■— mimiBiii 



Jfti-d*. 



REPORT 



ADJUTANT-GENERAL 



Twenty-Fifth National Encampment. 



(SILVER ANNIVERSARY,) 



G. A. R. 



DETROIT, MICH., AUGUST 5, 1891, 



RUTLAND : 

The Tuttle Company, Printers. 

1891. 






H 9 1908 
D. of D, 



Report of the Adjutant General. 



Headquarters Grand Army of the Republic, 

Adjutant-General's Office, 
Rutland, August /, iSpr. 

Wheelock G. Veazey, 

Commander-in-Chief, G. A. R. 

Comrade : I have the honor to submit the following re- 
port ot the Adjutant General's Department, Grand Army of 
the Republic, for the year of your administration, as follows: 

When you assumed command at Boston, August 14, 1890, 
there were borne upon the rolls of the order, 44 Departments 
with 7185 Posts and 397,94' Comrades in good standing. The 
consolidated Report of the Adjutant General for the period 
ending June 30, 1891, as far as the returns have been received, 
not all yet being in, shows in good standing: 45 Departments 
with 7,409 Posts and 398,067 Comrades in good standing. 
The sum expended in charity as reported for the year end- 
ing June 30, 1890, was $217,957.54, relieving 21,634 per- 
sons; for the year ending June 30, 1891, $333,69985- 
The total number of deaths reported for the year ending June 
30, 1890, was 5479, for the year ending June 30, 1891, was 

5530. 

The following tables give detailed summaries of the re- 
ports for the successive quarters as specified therein, up to 
the 31st of December, 1890, when the semi-annual system 
took effect, the period ending June 30, 1891, being the first 
one so reported. 



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5 

RECAPITULATION. 

Members iu good standing June 30, 1890 397,941 

Gain by Muster 31,373 

Gain by Transfer 17,307 

Gain by Reinstatement 13,446 

Gain from Delinquent Reports 13,745 

Total gain 07,871 

Aggegrate 465,813 

Loss by Death 5,530 

Loss by Honorable Discharge 1,849 

Loss by Transfer 8,858 

Loss by Suspension 30,496 

Loss by Dishonorable Discharge 362 

Loss by Delinquent Reports 20,750 

Total Loss 67,745 

Members in good standing June 30, 1891 398,067 

Members remaining suspended 13,711 

Members by Delinquent Reports 29,399 

Total in Suspension 43,101 

Total Members borne on Rolls June 30, 1891 440,168 

Adding to this those out on transfer 4,139 

who are, of course, still members of the Order, gives a 

Total Membership of 444,307 

This is the membership appearing in the reports as ren- 
dered, but it is not the full membership by reason of the 
fact that the Reports for the six months ending June 30th, 
are not yet all received. It is expected that they will, 
however be received in time for correction of these tables in 
the printed Journal of the Encampment. 



6 

The Order showed a steady, healthy growth and increase 
up to and including December 31, 1890, the net gains to that 
time for the two remaining quarters of 1890 being 11,548 
members. 

The returns for the period received at the time of print- 
ing this report for June 30, 1891, exhibit an apparent net 
loss of 11,422, which is manifestly not a correct showing. 
Indeed, it is known that there has been a large gain, but the 
time has been too limited to get the reports from all Posts 
since the close of the semi-annual period. 

The result of the working of the semi-annual system of 
reports adopted at Boston at the 24th National Encampment 
and going into effect December, 31st, 1890, has thus far in 
my judgment been demoralizing and has not in any way re- 
sulted in good to the order. 

The advantage claimed for it was the lessening of the 
number of reports to be made. This in practice has not yet 
proved an advantage. The very fact of reporting once in 
three months keeps up the interest on the part of officers 
reporting, while the small sums required as per capita dues 
quarterly are very much more easily paid than are the 
semi-annual payments whichof course are double in amount. 

The disadvantage of not having the March reports for 
reference is felt by the present administration with peculiar 
force, as so much pressure has been brought to bear to get in 
the reports to June 30th for publication for this encampment, 
held ten days earlier than the 24th and about four weeks earlier 
than the 23d, that they are not in many cases probably a cor- 
rect index of the true condition of the Posts and Departments. 

MUSTERED OUT BY DEATH. 

The number of deaths during the year just closed were 

as follows: 

Quarter ending September 30tli, 1890 1341 

" December 31st, 1890 1485 

" June 30tb, 1890. 2304 

Total Number 5530 

This is the number as reported, the actual number being 
doubtless much greater. 



EXPENDED IN CHARITY. 

Year ending December 31, 1890 $335,791.31 

In the six months ending June 30, 91 224,806.08 

$550,057.39 

For the year ending June 30, 1891 333,699.85 

From July 1, 1871 to July, 1, 1891 $3,231,234.40 

TABLE OF PROGRESSION 

Showing THE MKMBEnstiip i;^ Qodd S['.v>TDt.vo of Tura 'Gr.vnd A.uMif«^ 
THE Republic, during Each Quarter in the Last 
Fourteen Years. 



QUARTERLY REPORTS. 

ist quarter, March 31 . 

ad quarter, June 30 

3d quarter, September 3S 
4th quarter, December 31 

Total gains each year . . 



1877. 


1878. 


1879. 


1880. 


i88r. 


1882. 


25,446 

22,617 

25,749 
27,179 


26,902 
28,274 
28,715 
31,016 


37,777 
35,961 
38,664 
44,752 


49,099 

55,260 
59,^53 
60,634 

15,882 


61,847 
70,726 
77,203 
85,856 

25,222 


88,965 
106,096 

"9-354 
134,701 


a 80 


3.837 


13,736 


48,845 



1333. 

146,183 

178,811 

199-447 
215,446 

8o,74S 



QUARTERLY REPORTS. 

ist quarter, March 31 

2d quarter, J une 30 

3d quarter, September 30. 
4th quarter, December 31. 



Total gains each year. , 



233,595 

256,258 

274,323 
273,168 



57,772 



269,694 
275,623 
284,351 
294,787 



21,619 



1887. 



295,337 320,936 
299,891 336,540 
308,838 341,213 
323,571 I 355,gi6 



28,784 32,345 



354,216 
361,194 
362,857 
372,960 



17,044 



375-534 
382,598 
385,546 
397,974 



25,014 



392,893 
397,620 
400,554 
409,489 



11,515 



Note.— For thesi.K years prior to 1837, the membership of the Grand Army of the Re- 
public was almost at a standstill, comprising on the average less than 26,000 Comrades for 
each year. 



NEW DEPARTMENTS. 

The Department of Indian Territory and Oklahoma, 
upon request of the Posts therein, was divided by the Com- 
mander-in-Chief by Special Orders No. 10, dated Headquar- 
ters G. A. R., Adjutant-General's Office, Rutland, Vt., June 
22d, 1891, into the Department of Oklahoma and the Pro- 
visional Department of Indian Territory, the same to take 
effect July ist, 1891, and Comrade E. Calkins of So. McAles- 
ter, I. T., was appointed Provisional Commander of said Pro- 



visional Department. At a meeting of the Posts of said Pro- 
visional Department duly ordered and held at So. McAlester, 
I. T. , July 3d, 1 89 1, a permanent departmental organization 
was effected and Comrade Edward Calkins was elected De- 
partment Commander. 

SUGGESTIONS AS TO POST OFFICERS. 

The Adjutants and Quartermasters of Posts should be the 
best men possible to be obtained, fitness and ability to be 
the standard. Once broken in and doing well they should 
remain year after year. The Sergeant-Major and Quartermas- 
ter Sergeant respectively should be in training by assisting 
the Adjutant and Quartermaster, so as to succeed to the offices 
if capable, or serve in the absence of either. The delin- 
quencies from which the whole Order suffers and which cut 
such a figure in the periodical statements and returns can 
almost invariably be traced to the failure on the part of Post 
Quartermasters to collect the dues each and every period, 
while the amount is small and easily paid by almost every 
Comrade. Once allowed to pass it is soon impossible to col- 
lect what has become a comparatively large sum, and the 
worthy Comrade who never intended to forfeit his membership 
is dropped for non-payment of dues and lost to the Order. 

DEPARTMENTS. 

Departments do the best which have fixed Headquarters 
and the same Assistant Adjutant-General for a term of years. 
The responsibility of the condition of a Department rests 
largely on this officer. The growth and stability of the 
Order would be greatly promoted by permanent location of 
the office and longer tenure of the officer. Many large De- 
partments have adopted this policy and it will help the 
smaller ones even more in proportion. The Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's office and that of each Assis^tant Adjutant-General 
should be fixed like that of the Post Adjutant if the best 
results are to be obtained. 



9 

It may be out of place in a mere summary of official work, 
but permit me to state that in some Departments, the 
change in location of Assistant Adjutant-General and the 
resumption of business and communication with this office 
took about four weeks. This occurring- all along from January 
to May causes gaps in correspondence hard to fill and suspen- 
sion of the receipt of orders from the Commander-in-Chief 
by the Posts, no matter how vital or important they may 
be, and works harm of all sorts. 

This Order is not at its summit in point of members if some 
of the evils I have hinted at are remedied. It can and should 
be made to reach a membership of 600,000 or 700,000, but 
this must be done within five years if ever. I believe with 
work and proper organization it is quite possible, there being 
over 1,200,000 old soldiers now living. 

The Department Encampments being held in so many 
different months from January to May makes the work and 
care much greater at Headquarters than if these Encamp- 
ments were held say, all within two months and the changes 
incident thereto occurring at about the same time. 

OFFICE WORK. 

Orders and circulars issued 43 

Copies distributed, iucluding Decatur, Detroit and War Department 

matter sent these Headquarters for circulation, about 650,000 

Letters received and sent, including mimeograph circulai's 11.000 

Commissions issued 800 

Special Orders issued 20 

The labor attending the administration of the Adjutant- 
General's office cannot be expressed by giving the number of 
letters received or answered or the number of pieces of mail 
matter handled. From one cause or another, notably the 
death of a large number of our distinguished Comrades and 
other special matters voted and entailed upon us by preced- 
ing Encampments, the number of orders has increased, and 
as you held that all members of the National Encampment 
were entitled to receive a copy of all publications direct from 
this office, the number of each issue has also been somewhat 



increased over that of former years. This matter if properly- 
distributed by all the Departments and carefully read by 
Post officers to the Comrades cannot but have made some im- 
pression for good upon them. I am led to believe, however, 
that in some Departments and many Posts, more or less 
negligence attends the distribution of matter from Head- 
quarters. It is needless to say it is prepared with some care 
and cost and should be promptly sent so as to reach in the 
end all the Comrades so they will know that this office is 
doing effectually the work for which it is maintained. 

Needless expense sometimes results from hasty legisla- 
lation. For instance, two years ago a new Ritual was voted. 
The next year the old Ritual was restored. This cost the 
Order in round numbers about three thousand dollars. 

The legitimate needs of the Order are many and must be 
wisely and fully met for its highest success. The suggestion 
has come from many sources that the Order should soon be- 
gin to provide a sinking fund to meet the emergencies of old 
age with its diminishing membership and dues. This is wor- 
thy of consideration. 

The migratory character of this office is necessarily fatal to 
any permanent accumulation of valuable books of reference, 
etc. I have, however, the present year secured a full set of 
the Volunteer Army Register, giving the muster-out roll of 
the commissioned officers of every Volunteer Regiment 
serving during the war of the Rebellion and have had 
them bound for preservation. I have also secured and had 
bound nearly all the Journals of the Department Encamp- 
ments for 1888, 1889 and 1890, and have many of the paper 
copies of 1 89 1. It has required not a little correspondence to 
effect this, and from several Departments no copies of their 
General Orders or other printed matter were received here 
until after repeated requests. 

By direction of the Executive Committee I have arranged 
all the matter coming into my hands with a view to its being 
more easily transported, boxing each year's papers separately 
and labeling and numbering the boxes so that those not 



needed daily may be stored. I have also exchanged an old 
desk and typewriter for a new one upon very advantageous 
terms ; have also purchased a mimeograph which has saved 
more than its cost in printing, and also enables the office to 
issue circular letters, etc., that it is sometimes not desirable 
to print. 

ROLL OF ENCAMPMENT. 

The Twenty-Fifth National Encampment will be com- 
posed as follows : 

National Officers --._..-___-__ lo 

Members of the Council of Administration _ _ 43 

Past National Officers .....-_..... 39 

Department Officers . _ _ _ 176 

Past Department Commanders .. _ _ _ _ _ - 386 

Representatives at large and apportioned- _ 451 

Total ....---..., ..... 1,105 

Note.— Vacancy— Oklahoma to be filled and this Encampment will elect the first mem- 
ber ot the National Council of Administration for the Department of Indian Territory, when 
there will be forty-five. 

In this list all deceased members are noted and the date 
of decease of all Past National Officers given. 

As above intimated the short time intervening between 
the close of the semi-annual period, June 30th, and this En- 
campment, renders it a work of great difficulty, practically 
impossible, to arrive at any exact knowledge of the true con- 
dition of the Order. Posts take a few days, sometimes weeks, 
and the Department officers must verify and consolidate the 
returns, taking at least a few days more, then the Adjutant 
General has to codify and print, so that as I have said the 
time is too short in which to accomplish what the Encamp- 
ment has a right to expect. I would therefore suggest as 
one recommendation that the National Encampment be held 
not earlier than the 20th of August to enable this work to be 
more perfectly done. 



But during this official year we have had other means of 
information than the periodical reports of Posts and Depart- 
ment officers, as called for by the Rules and Regulations. 
Early in your administration an order was prepared calling 
for monthly reports from all Aides appointed upon the staff, 
and specifying methods for the observations desired to be 
made by them. That feature has given these Headquarters 
a large amount of valuable information, grievances have 
"been remedied, faults corrected, uniformity in work aided, 
weak Posts encouraged and a great amount of good done. 
Many of these staff officers have shown themselves indus- 
trious and zealous Comrades, willing to work for the Order 
and its interests, and these reports, coming as they have from 
all Departments, large and small, and being largely unbi- 
ased and impartial, as they were confidential in nature, have 
led me to believe that the Order is in a very vigorous state and 
may easily continue to be so if its members continue look- 
ing to the front and moving on in harmony. 

Through the same media also we have been made aware 
of the great extent and enthusiasm attending the observance 
of the 25th anniversary of the founding of this Order and also 
of Memorial Day. Many of the former were very large in 
point of numbers attending, only limited by the capacity of 
the largest halls and churches in the country, and the exer- 
cises as reported fully rose to the dignity of the occasion. 
Your suggestion as to historical statements was heeded and a 
large amount of valuable matter has thereby been rescued 
from oblivion and will be preserved for others j^et to come after 
us. The effect of the two anniversaries so closely following 
each other has been to put the whole people in very much 
closer touch with the Order, in my judgment, than ever before. 
At your suggestion I also procured and sent each Post a fac- 
siimlc copy of the original Charter given the first Post by 
Comrade Stephenson, and I believe I am justified in saying 
that no Order has a more striking relic of the period of its 
formation. 



13 



DECISIONS. 

The following decisions, based upon opinions of the 
udge Advocate-General, have been made the current year, 
viz: — 

I. Plurality of Departments. Under present regulations, 
several Departments cannot be formed having jurisdiction 
over the same State or Territory. 

II. Honorable discharge removes the apparent stain of re- 
ported desertion. 

III. Department Council of Administration may, for suf- 
ficient cause, change the place designated for the meeting 
of the next Department Encampment. 

IV. Department Commander may establish new Posts, 
in his discretion. Adjoining Posts cannot question his exer- 
cise of this discretion. 

V. Members of companies called into service by U. S. 
General Ofificers, on emergency, and dismissed when the 
emergency has passed, are not eligible. 

VI. On Memorial Day, a Post may, in its discretion, halt 
on its way to or from a cemetery and attend a flag-raising or 
other ceremony of patriotic character. 

VII. Honorable discharge removes the apparent stain of 
desertion. 

VIII. Member of State Regiment is eligible, if the or- 
ganization was called into active service and subject to or- 
ders of any U. S. General Officer. 

IX. Compulsory muster into the Confederate army will not, 
alone, render one ineligible, if, before having performed mil- 
itary service of any kind, he escaped and joined the Union 
Army. But military service of any kind as a Confederate 
soldier, though compulsory, will disqualify. 

X. A Past Post Commander, removing to another Depart- 
ment and joining Post there by transfer card, on removing 
back to his former Department and again joining Post there 



14 

by transfer card, retaining at all times good standing in the 
order, does not lose his honors as Past Post Commander. 

XI. A Chaplain, duly commissioned and serving with his 
regiment, but never mustered into nor discharged from the 
U. vS. service, is not eligible. 

XII. Members of companies called into service by U. S. 
General Oflficers on emergency, and dismissed when the 
emergency has passed, are not eligible. 

XIII. Reinstatement of one dropped from the rolls for 
non-payment of dues, must, under the amended Regulation, 
be by ballot election, as in case of a recruit. 

XIV. If a Comrade, on transfer card, is fully admitted by 
a Post without payment of admission fee, he becomes a 
member of the Post, and his name cannot be stricken from 
its rolls because of such omission. 

XV. Election by single ballot of several persons for various 
offices. The ballots must designate for what ofhce each per- 
son is voted for. 

XVI. The Executive Committee, during the recess, prop- 
erly exercises all the power of the National Council of Ad- 
ministration. 

XVII. The Department of Kentucky was in a disorgan- 
ized condition from 1874 to 1878; and a Comrade who in this 
interim made slight but futile attempts to organize it, with 
himself as Department Commander, is not entitled to rank 
as Past Department Commander. 

XVIII. One dropped from the rolls for non-payment of 
dues ceases to be a member of the order. To be reinstated 
he must, under the amended Regulation, pay the arrear- 
ages due his former Post ; and be elected and pay admis- 
sion fee as a recruit. But the admission fee is for the ben- 
efit of the Post; and if it admits him on payment of ^a less 
fee, the admission is valid. 

XIX, One dropped from the rolls for non-payment of 
dues is outside the order. If he applies for reinstatement, 
pays arrearages and admission fee, and is elected, he must 



IS 

present himself for obligation and muster within three months 
after notice of his election. Decision 24, Blue Book, Ed. 
1891, page 76, 21-4, is overruled. 

XX. A Chaplain duly commissioned and serving with his 
regiment, but never mustered into nor discharged from the 
U. S. service, is not eligible. 

XXI. Sentence by court martial may be remitted by the 
Commander-in-Chief, on application, approved by interme- 
diate authorities. 

XXII. A Lieutenant of the U. S. Revenue Marine ser- 
vice is not eligible. The Regulation as to Eligibility admits 
of no constructive or equivalent service. 

XXIII. Department Encampment may rescind vote en- 
titling Past Post Commanders to seats. 

XXIV. A Hospital Nurse is not eligible. 

XXV. I. — While the Commander-in-Chief will not, upon 
appeal, review the evidence, or revise the Sentence of a De- 
partment Court-Martial, he will examine its proceedings so 
far as to ascertain whether they are legal or void, and if void 
will annul them. 

2. — A charge is futile, unless sustained by the facts and 
circumstances set forth in the specifications. 



In reference to the matter of the return of the flag of the 
75th Ohio Infantry, which was left in the hands of the Adju- 
tant General to look after, I have corresponded through the 
Comrades at New Orleans with Mrs. Gen'l. H. T. Hays, who 
has had possession of the flag ever since it was captured at 
Gettysburg, and it has finally been turned over to Comrade 
Graham, Aid-de-Camp upon the staff of the Commander-in- 
Chief to be brought to Detroit and delivered to the repre- 
sentatives of the regiment alluded to. 



i6 

The Headquarters flag, which has been in use so many 
years, having been substantially worn out in the service, a 
new flag has been procured, pursuant to vote of the National 
Council, which is m-ede in conformity with the regulations 
now existing, and will be used for the first time at the Silver 
Anniversary Encampment at Detroit. 

Many Posts of the coimtry are engaged in procuring a 
biographical sketch of each of their respective Comrades. 
Such sketches will be a valuable acquisition, and the example 
which some Posts have set in this regard should become the 
rule throughout the Order. 

To the Department officers, especially my brethren of the 
Adjutant General's Department, I wish to make the fullest 
acknowledgment for countless courtesies extended and for 
overlooking all faults of this office, but too well realized by 
me, though sometimes unavoidable. Few others can conceive 
of the Order as it is, or as it might be made to be, but to you, 
Comrades, one and all, I tender my sincere thanks for the great 
assistance you have rendered me in the discharge of my 
official duty. 

Quartermaster General John Taylor, with whom I have 
have been in almost daily communication, I have ever found 
alive to the needs of the Order. Judge Advocate General 
Lochren and Inspector General Burst have been prompt and 
ready in matters referred to them by this office. 

To you, Commander-in-Chief, with whom it has been my 
privilege to serve as Adjutant, as Asst. Adjutant General, 
as well as in this office, I can only say that each recurring 
period of service has made me the more sensible of the honor 
conferred upon me and of your high qualities as a Comman- 
der Comrade and friend. 

In F. C. and L., 

Adjutant- General. 



9r- 



1 TRRARV OF CONGRESS 

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012 027 231 7 




\ 



UBRARY OF CONGRESS 




